Pilots in position to strike

Standard things, with the 2011 twist of looking to the government to intervene.

Captain Paul Strachan, president of the 3,000-member union, said the country’s largest airline no longer wants to negotiate a new collective agreement with the help of a conciliator, even though ACPA offered to extend the process.​

Of course AC does not want to negotiate a deal with the pilots under the demands on the table. The pilots want to control what happens with the new low cost carrier AC is going to start up. As its none of their business what the employer does outside of their domain AC has walked away and will ultimately seek government help in putting the pilots in their rightful place as employees and not owners.

Of course AC does not want to negotiate a deal with the pilots under the demands on the table. The pilots want to control what happens with the new low cost carrier AC is going to start up. As its none of their business what the employer does outside of their domain AC has walked away and will ultimately seek government help in putting the pilots in their rightful place as employees and not owners.

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None of their business? Since the only way forward with the proposed AC LCC, according to Calin, is for union wage concessions pilots seeking to prevent future members of their association from working for lower wages is very much their business.

None of their business? Since the only way forward with the proposed AC LCC, according to Calin, is for union wage concessions pilots seeking to prevent future members of their association from working for lower wages is very much their business.

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Typical unionized worker thinking. The Company is setting up a new subsidiary, one that is somewhat arms length to the current mainline operation where they intend to compete with othe rlow fare charter operators who also pay their pilots less than AC.

This subisdiary should not even be within the pilots bargaining rights but is because of AC being subject to regulated federal rules. These federal rules were brought about by Liberal governments decades ago when employees needed more union protection in the job place and now need updating.

Large carriers, like Air Canada, require about 10 years of experience in the pilots it hires, says Paul Howard, communications officer for the union representing Air Canada pilots.

In the past, Canadian carriers hired former military pilots or applicants with a two-year college diploma.

But airlines increasingly like to hire applicants with more post-secondary education because the job has grown in complexity, said Chris Pulley, a commercial airline captain and a board member of the Brampton Flying Club.

A little birdie has told me the pilots were recently warned by the Transport minister's office that using labor action to interfere with AC's wish to start a LCC won't be acceptable as a bargaining tool.

If the rumour is true it is good news as it makes for more competitive rates in the leisure travel/charter segment that AC wants to cover with its LCC. The pilots are not about customer retention or service, its all about them.

(Reuters) - Air Canada (ACb.TO) said on Monday that contract talks with its 3,000 pilots are scheduled to continue this week, adding it is confident it can avoid a labor disruption, which could come as early as Friday morning.
Pilots, represented by the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA), repeated that they did not want a strike, even as members voted on whether to give their bargaining committee a mandate to walk off the job.
"It is business as usual, and customers can continue to make their travel plans and book in confidence," Air Canada spokeswoman Angela Mah said in an email.
She said talks were scheduled to continue beyond Tuesday with the assistance of a federally appointed mediator.
A 21-day cooling off period in the talks, which had been taking place under a government-appointed conciliator and following a legislated timetable, ends at 12:01 a.m. EST (5:01 GMT) on Tuesday.
At that time, Air Canada will be in a legal position to file 72 hours notice of a lockout, meaning it can lock out the pilots if it wants to as early as 12:01 a.m. on Friday.
ACPA will be in a position to file its 72-hour notice of a strike once it has the results from its strike mandate vote, and if the pilots back a mandate. Spokesman Paul Howard said results would likely be available on Tuesday at around 5 p.m. EST.
"We will report the results of our vote tomorrow but we are waiting to see what the corporation does as of midnight tonight," Howard said.
He said the pilots had no plans to strike and that the vote was a "defensive measure in case the corporation decides to do something".In any event, Canada's Conservative government has shown that it will not tolerate a labor disruption at Air Canada, which it regards as an important driver of economic growth. Last year, Ottawa stepped in twice to halt labor strife at the airline."The minister remains committed to doing what it takes to protect the public interest and help unions and employers achieve constructive labor relations," Ashley Kelahear, a spokeswoman for Labor Minister Lisa Raitt, said in an email on Monday.
Air Canada's shares were off 2 Canadian cents, or 1.8 percent, at C$1.07 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday. Shares of rival WestJet Airlines Ltd (Toronto:WJA.TO - News) were nearly 3 percent firmer at C$13.72.

Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt has stepped in to help Air Canada and its pilots come to an agreement as the pilots’ union votes Tuesday on a strike mandate.

Meanwhile, the vote comes as the carrier is currently also a legal lockout position with its pilots.

Raitt has met with Air Canada and the Air Canada Pilots’ Association and told both sides a work stoppage wouldn’t be in the best interests of Canadians.

Approximately 3,000 Air Canada pilots could hit the bricks with 72 hours notice if members vote for a strike mandate.

Raitt is offering to bring in a new mediator to settle the contract dispute as part of a six-month process. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service has been unsuccessful in helping the two sides come together after two months of trying.

The key sticking point in negotiations have been pay, pensions and Air Canada’s plan to launch a discount carrier. Pilots rejected a previous tentative agreement in May. Their contract expired last March.

The labour minister stepped into another Air Canada dispute last June when she moved back-to-work legislation for 3,800 striking Air Canada workers.

On Monday, Air Canada reached its third deal in four days after inking an agreement with its flight dispatcher association.

The pilots are tip toeing through their strike mandate and are very nervous about pulling the plug becasue they know full well Raitt will hammer them as she should. AC has every right to startup a LCC on its terms and w/o interference from the AC mainline pilots and the pilots know the goverment supports the Company's approach. Ceheckmate time is almost here.

OTTAWA/TORONTO (Reuters) - Air Canada and its pilots' union have agreed to submit to a six-month mediation process, which means there will be no immediate strike or lockout at the country's largest airline, Labor Minister Lisa Raitt said on Wednesday.

Raitt was speaking a day after the pilots, concerned about the impact Air Canada's plan to start a low-cost carrier would have on their jobs and wages, voted 97 percent in favor of giving their union a strike mandate.

"I have received agreement from both parties ... that they will submit to the extended mediation process," Raitt told Parliament. "I'm very grateful for the work that they're going to put in, and we expect them to get a deal."

Raitt's spokeswoman, Ashley Kelahear, added in an email: "This government is pleased to advise the Canadian public that they can rest assured that it is business as usual at Air Canada and there will not be any disruptions in service."

On Tuesday, Raitt offered six months of mediation to the two sides, which she said were "really far apart".

Kelahear said the agreement to submit to mediation did not mean each side was surrendering its right to give notice of a strike or lockout during the six months. But that prospect was highly unlikely in the short term as the mediation process gets underway.

"Both sides have committed to reaching a resolution and both have indicated they have no intention of taking industrial action," Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said. "So in the meantime it is business as usual."

Kelahear added: "The minister would like to thank both parties for their commitment to the collective bargaining process and for ensuring that a work stoppage is avoided."

The key issues for pilots, who have been without a contract since March 31, 2011, are pay, pensions and Air Canada's low-cost carrier plan, which it says is critical to sustained profitability.

The Montreal-based airline said last week it was evaluating various models for operating a discount vacation carrier.

A report in the Globe and Mail newspaper on Wednesday said Air Canada has dedicated about 60 staff and nearly 30 consultants and lawyers to devise a plan for a low-cost airline and was seeking a foreign airline as a minority partner in the venture.

Within these 6 months AC will have its plans for the LCC ready to go and the mediator can then make an informed decision which will be to allow it on AC's terms as it will be an "arm's length" subsidiary if they take on partners.

Within these 6 months AC will have its plans for the LCC ready to go and the mediator can then make an informed decision which will be to allow it on AC's terms as it will be an "arm's length" subsidiary if they take on partners.

Air Canada says it will lock out its pilots on Monday at 12:10 a.m., just ten minutes after a strike deadline set by the company's mechanics, baggage handlers and cargo agents union.

On Thursday morning, the company told its pilots' union -- one of several unions in heated labour talks with the airline – that it had until noon to accept what it called the "best, last and final" contract offer. It announced the plans for the lockout at about 1:30 p.m.

The two sides have been negotiating for 18 months as the pilots continued to work under a contract that expired in 2011.

In February, a federally-appointed mediator was assigned to help the two sides come to an agreement. The company has been in a legal lockout position with its pilots' union for more than a month. The union is also in a legal strike position.

Meanwhile, 8,600 mechanics, baggage handlers and cargo agents are threatening to strike on Monday, saying they're fighting to win back wages and benefits they gave up when the airline filed for bankruptcy protection in 2003 and 2004. Sticking points between the parties include wages, pensions and mandatory overtime.

Labour Minister Lisa Raitt says the ongoing tensions between Air Canada and its employees are unlike any labour dispute she has seen -- and she isn't ruling out getting more involved.

"This is a serious issue, and we're taking it very seriously," Raitt told CTV's Canada AM from Ottawa on Thursday morning. "Either the parties get themselves a deal and avoid a work stoppage, or the government is there to take a hard look at the matter and makes sure the Canadian public interest is well-served."

Raitt says Air Canada has been bargaining with various unions for 18 months and has seen a similar pattern emerging across the board. While the company has been able to come to agreements with the unions' negotiators, the larger membership seems unwilling to ratify the deals, she said.

"It's the fourth time that members in Air Canada have failed to ratify," she said, despite what she describes as "almost a model negotiation" at the bargaining table.

She said it shows a disconnect between the union's negotiators and the workers they are representing."When you do a deal at the table you should be representing your members," Raitt said. "We've never seen this happen before at any kind of labour negotiations. It's quite unique to Air Canada."

The latest strike threat comes as families across Canada prepare for March break vacations, many involving the country's largest airline. Raitt said the Air Canada call centre was bombarded by about 100,000 calls on Wednesday – five times the number it gets on a regular day.

Vacation plans aren't the only reason to encourage workers to stay on the job, she said, noting many remote communities rely on Air Canada to fly people and goods in and out.

Over her tenure as labour minister, Raitt has developed a reputation for getting involved in labour disputes, weighing in on negotiations involving Air Canada's pilots, customer service agents and flight attendants. She also led the charge to pass back-to-work legislation in the House of Commons when Canada Post workers went on strike last summer.

Labour groups have criticized the government for effectively removing their right to strike through legislation and pressure tactics.

Dave Ritchie -- vice-president of Air Canada's mechanics, baggage handlers and cargo agents union -- said Wednesday that he hopes Raitt lets this dispute run its natural course.

Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt has warded off threatened work stoppages at Air Canada (AC.B-T0.940.011.08%), blocking a planned strike and lockout during March break.​

Ms. Raitt has referred the Air Canada labour disputes with ground workers and pilots to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, citing a “maintenance of activities” section under the Canada Labour Code.​

Under the code, no work stoppages are permitted if activities pose “an immediate and serious danger to the safety or health of the public.”
Ms. Raitt said she did not know how long it will take for the board to complete its work.
“Given our fragile economy – you know, we’ve said before that a work stoppage is unacceptable,” she said, adding that she has asked the CIRB “to take a look at the case, and the facts of the two cases, to determine whether a work stoppage at Air Canada is going to have an effect on the health and safety of Canadians at large.”http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...ocks-air-canada-work-stoppage/article2362836/

I don't quite understand why AC wants to lock out the pilots -- do they figure that if there is a strike anyway they'll make the issue bigger and push the government into action? The arbitration process was still in the early days ...

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